Speed-changing mechanism



Jan.`13, 1931. J Q UTZ 1,788,415

SPEED CHANGINGv MECHANI SM original Filed June 27, 1925 gmenoz @Hoz mug Patented Jan. 13,1931

UNrrizo VAs'rirras` l PATE JOHN G. U'I'Z, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 TI-IE WARFORID CORPORATION, O'v

` NEW YORK, N. Y., .A CORPORATIONOFNEW YORK SPEED-CHANGING MECHANISM Original application filed June 27, 19,25, Serial No. 39,953.V Divided and this application led January 11,`

1926. Serial No. 30,444.

1t is the primaryobj ect of my invention to provide a speed changing mechanism which is particularly adapted for use onk Ford pleasure car automobiles and for that rea-- son my invention is so arranged as to be par# e ticularly adapted for assembly and use with suchl automobiles.

Inasmuch as the expectedgreatest use for my invention is'as an accessory for such automobiles, itis quite necessary that my device be so constructed as to facilitate its installation with as fewV alterations to the automobile as `built, by its manufacturer as is possible. It is furthermore desirable that the u, design be such that the device need not be disassembledlin order to attach it 'to suchvr an automobile.` n Y The particular features and advantages. of my invention will be more fully Vdescribedin the body ofthe specification. e

My invention, therefore, consists in the arrangement,.combination Aand construction of the various Vparts of myimpro'veddevice as described in the specification, claimed inmy claim'sand shown inthe accompanying drawings, in which:v

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken on li'nel-l of Fig. 2 showing my improved device in assembled position.

' Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

I have shown a conventional rear axle housing 5 which is provided withthe con* ventional rear y axle shafts and diierential gearing (not shown).

The rear axle housing 5 is provided with a forward central opening 6 around which a plate 7 is secured by cap screws 8 extended into the flange 9 surrounding the opening 6, thus providing means for bolting the auxiliary transmission housing or -casing'to t-he rear axle housing. The plate 7 is centrally apertured, in alignment with the opening in the housing, such aperture being slightly larger than is the opening in the housing. The auxiliary, transmission casing consists of the main casing 10` and a cover plate 11 secured together by studs 12. The cover plate 11 is secured to the plate 7 by means of bolts 13.

I have shown a conventional drive shaft Nr *ortica mbe or housing lil erung Within the forward projection 15 ofthe casing 10. The projfection 15 may be split at its forward end and provided withan aperturedear 16 on each side of the split, through which a bolt 17 mayV extend for clamping the portion 15 to the tube 14. c

Extended through the ,tube 14 and continuing throughathe portion 15 into the casing` 10 is a drive shaft 18 having a circular pro-z jection 19 thereon adapted to rotate in a ball bearing 20, which is positioned in the casing 10 by a bearing against a shoulder 21 atene side thereof and by a screw threaded ring 22 at the other side thereof, which said ringc5 is held against'displacement by a stud 23 extending through the top of the casing 10 and 'bearing against the notched edge 24 thereof. The stud 23 is heldagainst accidental displacement by a lock washer 25.

provided with a plurality `of splines 26, upon Vwhich a gear unit 27 consisting of' a large assembly. AIt will be noted that this flange is entirely free of the aperture in the plate 7. r

A ball bearing 31 is provided within the flange 30, held .against forward displacement by the circular flange 32. A stub shaft 33 is mounted for rotation in the bearing 31 and' is tapered adjacent'its rearward end.

A pinion 34 is provided on such tapered portion, being keyed thereto as at 35, and a nutl 36 is vscrewed on the end of the shaft and held against displacement by a cotter pin 37.

A gear member 38 is provided on the forward end of vthe stub shaft 33, such gear member having an internal gear or clutch teeth 39 adapted to engage with the clutch teeth 29.

rlhestub shaft 33 terminatesin a bushing 4095 within the drive shaft 18. A

' Secured in the casing 10 are a pair of longitudinal gear units 41 consisting of gears 42 and 43. The gear lunits Ll1 are mounted for rotation upon bushings 92 provided upon the The rearward end of the drive shaft 18 is 7.0

shafts 43. The shafts 43 are hollow and have. bolts 44 passing through them and through the casing at one end and the plates 11 and 7 at the other being secured in this position by nut-46. T he gears 43 are so positioned'as to beconstantly in mesh with the gear 38. Y

integral with the'gear unit 27 is a .groove 47 into which a shifting fork 48 passes. The

v'entirely as an adapter -forzsecuringzthe trans-` shifting fork `4S`is secured on its other eiidt a rod 49 by means of aset screw V50.

The rod 49 is positioned in ,thecasing 10 by.,

the apertured bosses 51 and '52 and 'is pro- -vided at its forward .end with a =clevice 53 engaging with the end of a rod 54 which eX- tends to a point adjacent the driving seat of the vehicle and which may be actuated to slidefitlierod 49^fore and aft. A pluralityv of notches aie provided inthe rod 49 sothat fasztlie irod 49 is shifted to its various hereinafterinentioned positions, one of the `notches will engage :with the balll. V'Theballt is resiliently mounted upon a coiled springz? provided vin the sapertured boss 58 andiheld `against displacement by a plug 59.

It will be apparent that in the operation of my improved ldevice rearwardsliding of .the rod 49 will'mcve thegear unit V28 so'that the -teetli 29 4will-.engage 4with the. teeth 39 so asto forma clutching.connection` between .the

shafts -18 and 33 and drive'tlie twosliafts at the-same lspeed Vand that vforward sliding -of =theshaft49 4will disengagetheteeth 29and39 and bringthe teethQS into engageinent'with theteeth 42 solthat rotationof'thedrive shaft 18 will be imparted through'the -gears'QSand 42 tothe'two gear units'4l and thence transv'initted.throught-he gears 43iand the gear 38 to the stub lshaft 33 so as to drive'ethe stub lshaft at a fhighenor lower, speed than the drive Shaft 18. f It will be .seen thatthe 'plate 7 is yutilized lmission housing or casing Vin place :and the Acent-ral .opening in the plate lis entirely-'free of the flange .30 `ori-the cover plate 11,*so that the :flange 30 and correspondingly 4the transmission housingor casing isentirely centered .bythe opening 6 in .theaxle housing. r'illhis is important l'for the reason tliatithe-opening 6 ris .correctly made for alignment'of'the shaft through which -power is transmitted and for lalignment of the pinion 34 with .the Vdifferenftial gearing.

It'will yfurther appearthatthe drive shaft V13 may shift longitudinal-ly in operation withouteaffecting the remaining parts of the mechanism for the reason :that the portion 19 *constituting the connection between the shaft 18 Yand the bearing 20 is longer than the inner :raceway of the bearing and foi` the-further reason that the extreme rearward end ofthe shaft 18 has considerable clearance from the forward face ofthe gear member A38. rllhis lis importantes permitting relative `movement of the `drive shaft under the imtime perniitsuiiicient lubricautto 'p ass to l'insure correct vlubrication of the bearing 31.

.Apliig llisprovided iii the top of the casing v1() to permit :filling of the casing with lubrifcant. Y f

desire it to be understood that the same results may be attained by the use of only a single gear unit? 41l instead of two gear units, as 'I have `shownthem,-with theexceptionithat because Aof the limited space into which the l device is placed Vit becomes 'necessary .tornarlrow the width of tlieigear Yteeth so that order to insure Iproper gear -strengtln-V I have" deemed it advisable to utilize :twoysetszof "gears for transmitting power? for the @verdrive. *f I f vIt 'will'be understood bygthoseislrille'd yinthen .90 art that my improved device is maintained" foruse as an auxilary'speedchanging mechanism in that a Ymain speed changing mechanism'fis provided on the forward end of the ldrive sha-ftA and thatthe particular adaptationfzg,

-andgarrangement of parts as hereinbeforei described have particular advantagesfand-utility because of the particular.-:construction fwithwhich -myinvention deals. v Y

I have found further -that this 4arrange-v.,100 ment of gears ,on opposite sides of the ldrive@ or stubshafts tends fortbetter operation in lthat the, gforces exerted by the two. sets-of gear units -.centralize toward the .drive and stubshafts and do away 'with thetendencymg l to push the drive and stub shafts fromtheir normal centers.

This application is-a-division-of-my 'copending application. Serial No. 39,953,1led Tune 27th, 1925,Wh'icli matured into -Batentnpno Number1,578,486. p i V" i It willbeobviousthat various changesmay be made in thearrangement, combination yand construction of the various `parts-of my yimproved device without departing from the?.

.415 spirit of mylinvention, and .it isiny intention to cover by my claims such changes ,as may be reasonablyincluded Within the scope thereof.

What I claim is: p .il ,V 1; In` combination with a rear-axle housing, i a driven shaft extending into said housing,la

ydrive shaft' axially aligned with and spaced from said driven shaft yto allow relativeaxial movement therewith,.said drive shaft having a member slidably mounted thereon, said member comprisingl a gear vand *clutchingv means, a member mounted v.on said driven shaft having external gear teeth and internal means adapted lto beioperatively associated 1130 with said clutching means, a counter-shaft Y having a pair of integral gears mounted thereon, one of which isadapted to mesh Ywith the gear on saidy drive shaft member and the other of which is in constantmesh with the gear 0n the driven shaft, and a be-aring unit adjacent said housing for said drive -shaft permitting axial movement thereof in either direction.

2. In combination with a rear axle housing a driven shaft extending into said housing, a drive shaft axially aligned with and spaced from said driven shaft to allow relative axial movement therewith, said drive shaft having a member slidably mounted thereon,. said member comprising a gear and y clutching means, a gear member lixedly mounted on said driven shaft, means internal ofV said driven shaft member adapted to be associated with said clutching means, a pair of countershafts positioned diametrically on opposite sides of said driven shaft,V each of said counter-shafts having a gear in mesh with the lgear on said driven shaft, means for sliding said driving shaft member into a position for transmitting motion to said driven shaft, and a bearing unit adjacent said housing for said drive shaft permitting axial movement thereof in either direction. c JOHN G. UTZ. 

